Monday, 26 September 2016

Syrian FM says US is ISIS accomplice

Syrian
FM at UN: Bombing of Syrian troops no mistake, US is ISIS accomplice

The
recent bombing of Syrian troops by the US-led coalition was no
mistake, Syria’s Foreign Minister, Walid Muallem, said at the UN
General Assembly, calling America and its allies accomplices to
crimes committed by Islamic State and other terrorists.

"The
Syrian government puts all the responsibility for aggression on the
US, as the facts show, that it was a deliberate attack, but not a
mistake – even if America says the opposite,” Muallem
said during a general debate at the 71st Regular Session of the
United Nations General Assembly in New York.

“This
vile aggression proves that the US and its allies are accomplices of
Islamic State and other terror groups,” he
stressed.

On
September 17, Syrian troops encircled by Islamic State (IS, formerly
ISIS/ISIL) militants near the town of Deir ez-Zor were bombed by
US-led coalition warplanes.

Sixty-two
soldiers were killed in the airstrike, which was followed by an
offensive by the jihadists on the positions of the government
forces.

Washington
said that that it hit Syrian troops by mistake and, according to
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, offered its apologies to
Syria’s President Bashar Assad via Moscow.

Despite
harsh rhetoric towards the US, Muallem stressed that Syria“confirms
its adherence to the principles of the Geneva peace process under the
auspices of the UN.”

The
Syrian government maintains “a constructive stance on the issue of
political settlement” of the conflict in the country, he said.

“Such
a decision must be based on respect towards the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of Syria and unity of its
people,” the
FM said.

The
intra-Syrian talks between sides involved in the conflict have
remained stalled since April, with new rounds of negotiations being
constantly rescheduled.

The
foreign minister also said that anti-terror efforts on Syrian soil
can only be carried out in accordance with the country’s
authorities.

"We
have always welcomed all international efforts to counter terrorism
in Syria. But we stress once again the need to coordinate such
efforts with the government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the
Syrian Arab Army that has been combating terrorism on the ground for
more than five years. Without such coordination any action would be
considered a breach of sovereignty, a flagrant interference and a
violation of the principles and purposes of the charter,” Muallem dded.

"Without
such coordination, any action will fall short of achieving real
results and will even make matters worse," he dded.

The
diplomat again slammed the “Turkish
incursion into Syrian territories under the pretext of countering
terrorism. This is a flagrant aggression and must be stopped
immediately."

A
ceasefire in Syria was agreed on during talks on September 9 between
Moscow and Washington. Both sides agreed to influence the Syrian
government and the so-called moderate rebel forces respectively in
order to bring an end to hostilities.

Since
then, Moscow has repeatedly complained that Washington is failing to
keep to its side of the bargain.

The
US has blamed Russia for not pressuring Damascus enough to facilitate
humanitarian access to Syria.

The
ceasefire was put at risk by the bombing of Syrian government forces
by US-led coalition warplanes in Deir ez-Zor and an attack on
UN-humanitarian aid convoy in Aleppo, in which 21 people were killed.